Do the mentally retarded have free will?

Question

The term "free will" implies that those who exercise it have a sound mind, and that people have (generally) the same definiton of right and wrong. Someone who is born mentally retarded doesn't have the same mindset as everyone else, and isn't able to distinguish right from wrong as we are. How does this fall in line with "free will"?

For that matter, what about the criminally insane?

Lots of good answers all around. Sending this one to the jury...

Answer 1

Paris Hilton does

oh yeah fabyolla, what a way to potray GOD
"i'm going to punish someone for being BORN! even though they haven't hada chance to sin yet"

why is it yolla, do you do all kinds of yolls?
And you have a right to your opinion as much as I have a right to challenge it.

Answer 2

~~~ Deke ,,, Take a look at the animal world in all its forms. You will see the myriad ways in which Freewill is exercised, within the limitations of the specific species. For instance a bear can follow it's highly developed senses and choose to follow which ever sense it deduces offers the best chance of a meal. Animals are not Automatons merely reacting to their environment without a certain level of Awareness, which is referred to as a Sentient Being. Even the most basic of responses, The Flight or Fight Response, offers a choice. A Decision to be made. As with people who are mentally retarded, they also have a Retarded Awareness of Self and their Environment. Yes, the Criminally Insane have deep Pathological Extremes if they are not associated with a Physical Anamoly such as a tumor or Chemical Imbalance, but are more of a Psychosis than a congenital defect,,,

Answer 3

Excellent question. I've never thought about the mentally handicapped or the criminally insane as "not" possessing free will. Brain chemistry taken into account? Wow, that's a good question. These people can be taught right from wrong true enough. As to wether or not they're willing to follow through on what they've been taught? That's an altogether different story. But then there's the question of "free" will. They're basically held hostage by their "mindset." Which implies that they really don't possess "free will." :(

Answer 4

Every living being has free will. The ones who don't are those who are dependant on artificial life support.

Who are you to judge whether a person is able to distinguish right from wrong if they are mentally handicapped? (I don't suppose you realize or care that "retarded" is a very offensive term even to those who don't have the condition)

A criminally insane person is a whole other ballgame. They have a free will. They chose to wrong over right. That is legalese though as most of them (if not all) know exactly what they're doing when they're doing it. They're only considered insane because it's the anti-thesis of our "sane and civilized" society.

Answer 5

Yes. They just lack the understanding that someone who is not mentally impaired would have.

It doesn't matter, as far as their salvation goes, they still go to Heaven, as would a baby if it died. However, it may depend on the severity of the retardation. Some may have the ability to understand as an older child would, and may be held accountable. I cannot say. It is totally up to God.

Insanity could be demonic possession. I don't buy into the criminally insane thing. I think it's Satan's way of softening our hearts to them so that we will feel sorry for them and say it's not their fault. Evil is evil.

Answer 6

The mentally ill or impaired have no responsibility. It is only common sense that you must be of sound mind to make a free-will decision. Do you actually think that God would hold someone who is mentally retarded accountable? I certainly hope not. When we are back in the spiritual body, we will all have clarity of thinking; there will be a 1000 yr. period of teaching for all those who did not learn truth; nobody is just absent-mindedly thrown into hell. Thats not gonna happen.

Answer 7

I don't like to answer questions that I "star" but this is such a good question!

A retarded citizen wouldn't have the ability to "decide" for themselves such issues as what to believe. If a parent taught them to worship Jesus, fine. If they taught them that the cat was god, that's fine too. They don't have the cognative ability to be able to choose freely.

When you extrapolate the consequences of "free will" and intelligence, it can lead to some very scary conclusions about the "rest" of the population too.

Answer 8

awesome question,just researching some Luke6:18 describes those of unclean spirits being healed,and i dont know but years ago people that had seizures(i had them)were suppose to have a devil or devils i guess thats what they assumed in them days like when Jesus sent the swine into the river after making them come out of a man i think the devil said they were Legion because there were many the God i know and love protects those who cant protect themselves and until they had a free will i dont think they would be accountable

Answer 9

Developmentally deficient adults (DDAs) are in the same category, in my opinion, as the rest of the entire human race -- tainted with sin from birth, no more innocent than you or I in meriting Heaven. This puts free will in a different light of EVERYONE needing a Savior, because our free will has only one other destination if we don't merit heaven.

God must give us faith, he must give us our regeneration, all of salvation comes from God along, there is nothing that we can do to earn it for ourselves.

Answer 10

Wow this is a really sad question.
Just because someones IQ is lower then yours (?) doesn't mean they do not have a will of their own! Everyone has a will..even animals. Mental conditions have nothing to do with it. God speaks to the heart, this is beyond the mind. Anyone and everyone is eligible!